Middle English Dictionary Entry
article n.
Entry Info
| Forms | article n. Also artecle, artikel, articul. |
| Etymology | OF article & L articulus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A separate item (in a set of rules, doctrines, provisions, etc.); one of the statements of the Apostles' Creed; ~ of the feith (beleve, crede, creaunce, trouthe); (b) a specific religious doctrine or proposition.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)71b : Þe articles, þet beoð as þah me seiðe þe liðes, of ure bileaue onont godes monhead.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)11-12 : Þyse byeþ þe tuelf articles of þe cristene byleue þet ech man cristen ssel yleue stedeuestliche..Alle þise articles byeþ ycontyened ine þe credo.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.231 : Alle þe artikles of þe feithe.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)47/11 : We schulden preie..þat he wole stable vs in trewe bileue & in þe articlis þat longen þerto.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)75/14 : Þis techeþ also þe comune crede of þe xii apostlis In an article of oure feiþ.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)86/30 : Þei seyn þat the cristene men..beleeuen folyly & falsly þat Ihesu crist was crucyfyed..And in this article þei seyn þat wee faylen.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)88/8 : [Mohammedans] han many gode articles of oure feyth, all be it þat þei haue no parfite lawe & feyth as cristene men han.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)122/26 : Þe clerkys examynde hir in þe Articles of þe Feyth & in many oþer poyntys.
- c1440(?c1350) Mirror St.Edm.(4) (Thrn)29/5,9 : Þe twelue artycles of þe trouthe..Þe toþer artecle es, þat Goddes son tuke flesche and blode of þe blyssed mayden Marie.
- c1440 Gaytr.LFCatech.(Thrn)3/18 : The fyfte arctecle es, þat þe Trynyte [etc.].
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)37 : To beleve opon the Maker of heuen and of erthe, as þe fyrst Article of the Feyth seith.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)33 : Dyuynyte..groundith articles of feith, that is to seie, trouthis and conclusions reuelid and affermed bi God to be trewe.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)454 : The artykeles of the fey Teche þy paresch..The fyrste artykele ys..'Leue on fader and sone & holy gost'.
- c1455 Spec.Miser.(Tak 32)261 : Hit is an artikele of owre Crede.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6911 : Articles off our creaunce.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)422 : Oon article of bileue, next aftir þe hooly goost, is to trowe hooly chirche.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)145/22 : The xije articlis of oure comyn 'credo in Deum Patrem'.
b
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)426 : Oure resoun may not juge and deme and telle to vs þat þis or þilk article is to be taken for feiþ more þan eny oþer poynt or article is to be taken for feiþ..forto ensaumple in special how oure resoun takiþ hise euydencis and makiþ þerupon hise argumentis forto gendre to him silf feiþ vpon articles, maters or poyntis [etc.].
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)167 : He coude not redily defende his part, Wherefor his articles were condempned.
2.
(a) A separate clause, provision, or item (as in a set of rules, a statute, a treaty, a will, a record, a petition, etc.); an item or charge (in a bill of particulars, etc.); a paragraph or passage (as in a document or book); (b) a part (of a whole).
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)15a : Ouer al þet ȝe habbeð iwriten in ower riwle..þis point, þis article of wel to beo bitunde, ich wulle beo best ihalden.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10235 : Þat hii sende him libel, and esste ek articles þat nere noȝt to graunti wel.
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)48/13 : These ben þe poyntz & þe articles ordeyned of the bretheren of seint Katerine in the cite of london.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)93/14 : Þe þridde pope Nichol wiþcleped þe bulle of þe ferþe pope Alisaundre, touchyng alle þe articles þat his declaracioun conteyneþ.
- (1415) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.146 : Poynttes and artycles here befor wretyn.
- (1419) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.175 : The articlys qwiche I have deliveryd hym, wretin with myn owne hand.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)318/5 : Whan he had vnderstond her articles & desire..lothe he was..to sey 'nay'.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)p.261 : The furste artycul of thys gemetry: The mayster mason moste be..Bothe stedefast, trusty, and trwe.
- (1432) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxix : I forsake that poynt and article and all that langage..I saide it nevere.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)40/24 : To aper be-for certeyn offycerys of þe Bysshop, to answer to certeyn artyculys whech xuld be put a-geyn hir be þe steryng of envyows pepyl.
- (1447) Shillingford28 : Yn your furst articulis of compleynts.
- (1453) LRed Bk.Bristol2.200 : This is the composicion and ordenaunce of Johanne Hallewey..as hit apperith in Articles herafter.
- (1454) Let.Intelligence in Archaeol.29 (Eg 914)307 : Thorp of thescheker articulethe fast ayenst the Duke of York, but what his articles ben, it is yit vnknowene.
- (1457) LRed Bk.Bristol2.185 : Yeuyng hym his hole powere and othe in perfourmyng of all the articles above wreten.
- (1458) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2 p.57 : Specified in articles hereafter foloing.
- (a1460) Let.Stubbe in Nrf.Archaeol.2354 : Ye seid John wold non othyr answer gefyn, but ever he wold hav ye artyculys delyvered hym wretyn.
- (1474-5) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum20 : In the wrytynge and makyng of diverse Articlis and of A Inventory, and kepynge of this booke.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)4.43 : To reherse þe articlis and graunte all her askynge.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)14 : The articulis of the pease finalle made betwene both kingis.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.15.8a : I schuld..ansuere to this articules of myn accusement.
b
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)1/17 : Þis pytt, þi body, hath v entrees, þat arn þi v bodyly wyttes..Be þise v entrees..þe artycles of þe gret curse entryn ofte tymes in-to þi pytt.
3.
(a) A particular matter or item; an item of business or concern; ~ of feith, a matter of faith; in non ~, in no way; (b) a particular occurrence or event, turning point, crisis; in the ~ of nede, in (case of) need; the ~ of deth, the moment of death, death; etc.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 Iesu þat wolde (LdMisc 463)p.189 : Long it were forto dwelle, Alle þe articles forto telle Þat þer comeþ of glotonye.
- (c1425) Doc.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.6228 : Ȝe shal truli & duly enqueren of alle maner articlis þat Iongen to þe leete.
- (1430) Paston2.32 : Ye arn Vicar general in Inggelond of the worthy Prelate..and have hys power in many grete articles.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)84 : Þe ix laste trouþis ben pure articlis of feiþ and not conclusiouns of natural resoun.
- (1473) RParl.in OHS 5868 : All thynges comprised in either of the same bille and acte and the other matiers and articules above specified.
- a1475 St.Mary Magd.(2) (Dur-U Cosin V.2.14)220/81 : I sawgh al the placis..that hir husbonde had seen, and wente neuere oute of the weie in non article [L in aliquo deviaret].
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)19a/a : Fendis..ȝif þey haueþ no power of god, þey beþ nouȝt suffisant to þe article of temptacioun.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.7/9 : Ioseph..was warnyd nat to drede to take Marye..And, stondynge the Article of parsecucioun, to flee with her in-to Egipte.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.16/28 : This worschipfull mane purposid for to depose the quarell of his Calamyteys afore the See of Rome..but..lettyng the Article of deith, that he wold had fulfillid he myght nat.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.43/32 : How ofte haue I callid the in the Article of so grete nede.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)73.169 (v.2:p.51) : In the article of his deth he cessid nat to ben a bedel or a cryer.
4.
Anat. A separate part or member of the body; a limb or joint; specif., a toe.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)7b/a : Like yuel cokes..þat cutteþ noȝt after þe articlez [*Ch.(2): particles or membres; L secundum articulos], bot brisseþ & crussheþ & ryueþ.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)19b/b : 5 bonez longinous, aunsweryng þe articlez [L articulos] i. þe tooz, whiche bene 5.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)51a/b : Percusionz þat ar in þe articlez [*Ch.(2): in smale ioyntes].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)107b/b : Wreþ stirreþ tempeste to þe vttermost articulez or membrez [L artubus].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)176a/b : Þe pores of þe articulez [*Ch.(2): ioyntes].
5.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/a : Euerich simple nombre byneþe ten is digitus, and ten is þe firste articulus, and þe nexte is twenty, & þanne þritty, fourty, and so forþ.
- ?a1400 Numer.Algorism (Hal)30 : Articules ben alle thei that mow be devyded into nombrys of ten, as xx, xxx, xl, and suche other. Composittys be alle nombrys that ben componyd of a digyt and of an articule, as fourtene, fyftene.
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)5/34 : Þere ben thre spices of nombur: Oone is a digit, Anoþer is an Articul, & þe toþer a Composyt.
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)6/4,26 : Articulis ben alle þat may be deuidyt into nomburs of ten & nothynge leue ouer, as twenty..a hundryth, a thousand..If it be a composyt, write þe digit of þe composit in þe first place & write þe articul of þat digit in þe secunde place next toward þe lyft side.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)34/23,28 : Withe-out cifre or cifres a pure article may not be writte..euery article is namede for oone of the digitis as 10 of 1, 20 of 2.
6.
Gram. An adnominal demonstrative or individualizing pronoun of Latin.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)102 : How knowyst a noun substantyf? Euery word that is declined wyth on article, or to atte moste, as hic magister, hic & hec sacerdos.
- a1500 Donatus (1) (StJ-C F.26)1019 : How many articulis ben þere? iij. Qwech iij? Hic, hec, hoc.
- a1500 Donatus(2) (Dc 103)1028 : Wyche byn þe artyculys? Hic, hec, & hoc.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)1/16 : For hyt ys declynet wt on articull or ij at þe most in on case.
Note: Additional quote(s)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4rb (Prologue) : How shal I, þat am so litle as þe leste of the seruantz of Criste, and þe first article (as I trowe) þat techeþ þis faculte in English tonge, how shal I inow eschewe euel spekingz & vpbraidyngz?
Note: Additional quot., ?sense 4. Editor's gloss: 'a joint or small limb (of the body), fig. a small part of a larger whole, little bit'. ?Modify gloss.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. article.